'Boys Next OT in Own Backyard?

IRVING, TX -- The good news: the standout offensive tackle the Cowboys desperately need, Dallas native Jonathan Scott, lives right in their backyard.

The bad news: the Cowboys don't traditionally think highly of University of Texas products, whispering that Longhorns often show up "soft'' in the NFL.

"Jonathan is from Dallas, he went to Carter High School, and he went to college at UT,'' says Scott's agent, Dallas-based Jordan Woy. "Jonathan would love to be a Cowboy.''

Nobody at Valley Ranch is ready to speak on the record specifically about Scott, the 6-7, 315-pound All-American and national champion. But someone close to the situation will tell us this, again not specifically regarding Scott: "There is a reason some Texans guys who were stars there don't become stars in the NFL. They're soft.''

Soft physically. That's what the Cowboys thought about Arizona offensive lineman Leonard Davis when came out of UT. Soft mentally. That's the explanation scouts give for why so many Longhorns tend to eventually blend into the NFL woodwork. The latest example might be Detroit receiver Roy Williams, a superstar talent who has somehow become "just another guy'' with the Lions.